TVcation

In March 2013, Sumitomo Electric commenced sales of TVcation, a videoconference system providing access to foreign countries through Internet connection.

■Product Data

Start of sales

2013

What is the videoconference system TVcation?

TVcation, Sumitomo Electric’s videoconference system, enables the holding of stress-free videoconferences at low cost by reducing audio and video delays and interruptions during the videoconferences, even in foreign countries where Internet connection is unstable. This is achieved by our own Adaptive LRR Technology (*1), which increases the packet loss tolerance (*2) to 20%.

In previous videoconferences with staff members at foreign establishments, especially in Asia, it proved difficult to secure comfortable communication. Unstable Internet connection resulted in audio delays and interruptions, as well as video disturbances. Also, in the case of ISDN lines and private lines, although quality was assured, there were problems due to slow connection speeds and high communication costs. To solve these problems, we developed TVcation.

TVcation, a piece of software operated on Windows OS, enables the creation of a system consisting of PCs, cameras, and other commercially available equipment. This reduces the initial startup cost for holding a full-scale videoconference with many participants. Additionally, with the use of mobile terminals, such as tablet PCs, in order to see the status of plant equipment, lines, and parts, it is possible to conduct remote checking for defective items and equipment maintenance.

※1 Adaptive LRR Technology：
Sumitomo Electric’s original communication control and video correction technology to realize stable videoconference performance, even when using an unstable Internet connection in a foreign country※2 Packet loss tolerance：
Loss is generated, for various reasons, in a packet transmitted over a network. However, even when 20% of such data are lost, Sumitomo Electric’s original technology can reproduce the data without audio and video delays and interruptions.

Where Is It Used?

TVcation has been used within the Sumitomo Electric Group since 2009; it is currently used at the Group’s 26 bases in Japan and 11 bases in foreign countries, including China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and the United States. In all these cases, TVcation is used via Internet connection. The ease of use has already been proved within the Group.

■Interview with engineer in charge

What are the difficulties in developing TVcation?

Since the quality of the Internet connection is not assured, it is difficult to avoid packet loss, that is, the loss of data incurred while the data is being transmitted. Usually, when packet loss is generated, retransmission processing is performed for the recovery of the lost data. In the case of a videoconference, however, the retransmission of data leads to audio delays, obstructing comfortable communication. The main difficulty regarding the development of TVcation was how to achieve the recovery of audio and video data, using only the transmitted data without performing retransmission processing.

TVcation is a piece of software that operates on Windows OS. A PC’s processing speed varies depending on the PC’s specifications and the load of the applications used simultaneously, such as MS-Office. Also, if a user uses the screen sharing function, data for the screen sharing will be additionally transmitted during the transmission of the audio and video data, changing the transmission quantity. In order to reduce packet loss, it is necessary to always maintain transmission quantity and transmission intervals at steady levels. In this regard, another point of difficulty was the fact that, while monitoring the load on a PC, it was necessary to realize automatic control to maintain transmission quantity and transmission intervals at steady levels.

What features of TVcation are well regarded by customers?

TVcation enables users to do two things on a single system: holding a videoconference with audio and video output, while easily sharing PowerPoint and Excel documents. Additionally, TVcation is more than just a tool for displaying video of the videoconference participants: it also displays images of the defective items and product samples to be discussed at the conference. In that sense, TVcation has achieved a new form of communication different from that of previous audio conferences, and is thus well-regarded by customers. Moreover, customers are pleased that the sound is clear and easy to hear.

・“Windows” and “MS-Office” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation of the United States in the United States and other countries.
・“TVcation” is a trademark or registered trademark of Sumitomo Electric.